Razor-stropper.



D. WATERS.

RAZOR STROPPER.

ABPLIOATIQNHLED 111111.13, 1911.

1,019,105, Patented Mar.5,11912.

3 SHEETS-SHEET v1.

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5J wv anto@ D. WATERS.

RAZOR STROPPER. f APPLICATION `FILED MAR. 13, 1911.

1,019,105. Patented Mar. 5, 1912.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

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RAZOR STROPPER.

APPLIOATION FILED 111111.13, 1911.

11,019,105. PatentedMar.5,1912.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

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DAYID WATERS, OF PICTOU, NOVA SCOTIA, CANADA.

RAZOR-STROPPER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Mar.`5, 1912.

Application filed March 13, 1911. Serial No.'614,024.

yTo all fwom 1f-may concern.' l

Be it known that I, DAVID WATERS, subject of the Kingl of Great Britain, residing at Picton, Province of Nova Scotia, Canada, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Razor-Stroppers, of which the following is'a specification.

My invention relates to grinding, abrading and polishing devices and particularly to means for sharpening implements, such as knives and razors, the mechanism being particularlyl adapted to stropping'razor blades, though not limited to this use. v

The primary object of my invention is the provision of a -very simple and effective sharpening' mechanism of the character above described in which the blade supported in the device-is gradually and automat-ically lowered into engagement with opposed sharpening members, thus eliminating any danger of cutting or injuring the sharpening or'stropping surface of the members and eliminating any chance of injuring the blade.

A stilll further object is to provide means whereby as the stropping members are operated a blade holder carrying the blade to be sharpened shall begiven a movement of rotation to carry the blade from a position of angularity with relation to the stropping members into a position parallel to the stropping members and into engagement there. the blade with, thus gradually lowering from its heel to its point into proper position to be sharpened. v

A further object 11s to provide in connection with the device'above named, a. blade holder which is removable from the `main body of the machine-so as to ermit a blade to be readily inserted and adjusted in place therein, which blade holder may be readily placed in roper position when desired.

Other -o jects will appear in the course of the following description.

My invention is illustrated in the accompanyingvdrawings wherein:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of one form of my invention', the blade holder being shown in its raised '.position. Fig. 2 is a plan view of the structure shown in Fig. 1, .the blade holder being removed. Fig. 3 is a transverse section on the line 3-.-3 of Fig.

A rig. e. Fig. 11 is `roller 5 yieldingly toward Q. Fig. 4 is a fragmentary perspective view of one end of the supporting frame shown 1n Fig. 1, the blade older being removed.

Fig. 5 is a plan view o f another form of my l invention, the cover section being removed. Fig. 6 is a long'tudinal section on the line 6 6 of 5. Fig. 7 is an end view of the modified construction. Fig. 8 is a longitudinal section on the line 8- 8 of Fig. 5. Fig. 9 v'is an enlarged .cross section on the line 9 9 of Fig. 6. Fig. 10 is an enlarged fragmentary section on the line 10-10l of an j enlarged fragmentary section on the line 11%11 of Fig. 10. Fig. 152 is a fragmentary perspective view of one end of the cover and the yoke forming the X hinged support therefor. Fig. 13 is a side elevation of a crank arm. Fig. 14 is an end view thereof. Fig. 15 is a fragmentary view showing the inside face of one vhead on the crank arm. Fig. 16 is an edge `elevation of a port-ion of the crank arm and the crank handle of the knob attached thereto, this handle being shown in'section in one position and in dotted linesA in another posltlon. Fig. 17 `is a detail elevation of the crank handle and its shank.

Corresponding and like parts are referred to in the following description and indicated in allv the views of the accompanying drawings by the same reference characters.

I have shown two forms of my invention, in Figs.' 1 to 4 the simpler form and in Figs. 5 to 1-1 an improved form much more compact than the first form and therefore better adapted for practical use.

Referring 'to Figs. 1 to 4, it will be seen that in this form of myinvention I provide a base 2 upon which are mounted the upwardly extending standards 3 and 4, oppositely placed with relation to each other and rotatably supporting parallel strop carrying rollers and 6.- The roller 5 has gudgeons 7 and 8 which are mounted in elongated bearing slots 9 in the end pieces or standards 3 and 4. Springs 10 mounted on these pieces or standards act to force the the roller 6. The roller 6 is mounted on gudgeons 11 which rotate in suitable bearings formed in the end pieces or standards 3. and 4. Mounted upon the gudgeons 8 and 11 at one end of the machine and exterior to the adjacent standard 3 are the toothed gears 12 and 13 which intermesh` with each other. Upon the gudgeon 11 is mounted the crank handle 14 of any suitable construction, and engaging with the teeth of the toothed gear 12 is a pawlv condition. I of course do not wish to be limited to leather as a material for these stropping bands. rest upon a strip of felt designated 17. By reference to Fig. 2 it will be seen that these bands .16 and 16a upon the rollers 5 and 6 respectively are arranged in a spiral direction around the rollers and that the bands 16 arearranged alternately with respect to the bands 16a so that the bands on one. roller -will contact, or nearly contact, with theface of the adjacent roller until the razor vor other blade tobe sharpened is inserted between the rollers. It will thus be seen that any one portion of the blade is not submitted to the stropping action simultaneously on its opposite sides. As shown, the bands are reversely wound relatively to each other. It

will be obvious that as the rollers are rotated lthe stropping bands will move longitudinally relative to the blade being stropped and will also move in a path transverse to the blade and at a slight inclination to the edge thereof. The spiral bands are so arranged in reference to the rotation of the rollers thatfthe stropping bands move relatively to the blade from the butt of the blade tothe end thereof, thus giving a longitudinal stropping action to the blade aswell as a transverse stropping action, and that by `supported within a holder 18.

reason of the fact that the strips or bands 16,16a are arranged alternately to each other, the blade between any two convolutionsof the same band will be' slightly flexed by the convolutions of the opposite stropping bands. I have found in practice that this peculiar arrangement of the stropping bands and the peculiar motion imparted thereto gives a particularly perfect stropping action. The razor or other blade being treated is This holder rests in suitable recesses in the upper edges of the standards 3 and 4 and l.isprovided with oppositely disposed jaws 19 which engage on either side of the blade. The jaws 19 do not extend the full length of the holder but the holder projects beyond the jaw as at 21v so as to rest in the recess 22,

Preferably the bands 16` 16ato.. this end I detachably hinge one end of the holder to the adjacent standard and provide j meansconnected to the shaft or gudgeon of one of the rollers whereby the holder may be gradually lowered" from a positionof angular relation to therollers into a position parallel thereto. In the form of my invention illustrated in Figs. '1 to 4, this object is secured in the following manner. Attached to one end 23 of the blade holder is the pivotal supporting member 24 which pivotally connects the blade holder to the body of the machine. This supporting. member 23 is approximately U-shaped and has parallel depending arms 25 and\ 26. The inner edges of these arms are outwardly and downwardly inclined. The arm 26 isbifurcated at its lower end as at 27 to form a vertically extending slot. The arm 25 is formed with a smaller slot 29 disposed directly opposite tothe slot 27 and extending parallel therewith. The arm 25 is extended below the slot 29 to form a downwardly depending later-v ally curved lip to engage with the holder actuating mechanism as will be later described. The upper edge of the standard 4 is recessed at 30 to receive the end. 23 of the holder. I.The lower -wall of this recess is slotted at its middle as at 31 to permit the insertion ofthe shank of the razor blade, and this lower edge of the recess 30 is also vertically slotted as at 32 to receive the legs 25 and '26 of the member`24. Extending across these slots 32 are the pintles 34 which are attached at their ends to the standard 4 in any suitable manner and which are slightly spaced from the face of the standard. The slots 27 and 29 engage over these pintles 34 and the razor'holder has in consequence a rocking motion upon the pintles. Thus it ,may be elevated to an inclination of about 45ov or lowered to a position wherein it is parallel to the stropping rollers. For the purpose of gradually lowering the hinged holder just described, I provide a resilient worm 35 which is mounted on the gudgeon of the roller 6. As will beseen from Fig.

2, this worm consists of a relatively fiat coil or convolution 36 which is, attached to the gudgeon 11, the wire or other material forming this coil being continued in a spiral around the gudgeon 11 and toward the end thereof, the. end of the spiral 37 being free. As before remarked, the material of the coil 35 is resilient. When the holder with the razor attached thereto'is to be placed in the machine, the slots 27 and 29 are inserted over the pintles 34 and the depending lip 28 is inserted behind the coil 36 of the work 35. VVit-h this construction it will be seen that as the roller 6 is rotated in the direction vof the arrow in Fig.` 3, the lip` 28 will travel alon'g the worm 35 until the lip escapes the extremity 37 of the worm and that when the lip 28 so escapes the extremity of the worm, the resilience of the wireV forming the worm will contract the worm, thus shifting the free end 37 of the worm out ofthe same plane as the depending lip 28 so that the roller 6 may continue its'rotations without the extremity 37 ofthe worm engaging with the lip 28. The operation of this form of my. invention will be obvious from the description just given. The blade of the razor is to be inserted in the holder 18, the shank of the razor projecting out through the slot 31. The holder is placed in `such -position that the notches or slots 27 and 29 will engage over-the pintles 34 and the lip 28 engage behind the spiral worm 35. The crank handle 14 is then operated, thus rotating the rollers in' reverse directions, as indicated by the arrows in Fig. 3,.and as the rollers are rotated the razor holder will grad ually bel lowered until the blade is in full contact with both of the rollers. After the.

blade has been stropp'ed sutiiciently, the razor may be removed by simply lifting directly upward on the razor holder. The blade may be adjustably held within the holder by means of the screws 20V and 20.

While the form of my invention just described is thoroughly eiective and has an extremely good strapping action, I have.

illustrated in Figs. 6 to 10 a form of my invention which is more adapted for practical purposes in that the operating mechanism is entirely contained within an inclosing case, this case being made in two sections. In this improved form of the invention the case is made in two sections 40 and 41, thesey sections being semicircular or semielliptical in section and being `hinged together by the hinges 42. The free edges of the sections may be held closed by means of any suitable hook or latch 43, Mounted within the sections of the case, and preferably rotatably mounted in bearings upon the section 41 of the case, are the-stropping rollers 44 and 45.

These rollers have precisely the same conj struction as before described and are provided, each with the helically arranged sti-ops or stropping bands 46. These bands 'are .mounted uponthe rollers precisely as before described and therefore need no separate description. The upper edges of the section 4l of the case are provided with recesses 47 for the reception of bearing blocks 48 in which the gudgeons of the roller 45 are mounted. The gudgeons of will lthe roller 44 are mounted in bearing blocks 49 which are carried in recesses-50 which are slightly longer than the bearing blocks land hence permit the bearing blocks and the roller 44 to move laterally toward and from the roller 45. Coiled springs 51, preferably carried in housings 52 upon the eX- terior. of the ends of the case act to force 'the bearing v'blocks 49 toward the bearing blocks 48 and thus force the roller 44 toward the roller 45. Adjusting screws 53 are placed inthe outer ends of the housings 52 and act to compress the springs 5l to any desired tension. Atone end the rollers 44 and 45 are provided with' the toothed gears 54 which intermesh with each other and correspond to the toothed gears 12 and 13 previously described. .One gudgeon of the roller 45 is extended and provided with a crank handle 55 whereby the rollers ymay be rotated. A pawl 56 is attached to the case and engages with one of the toothed gears 54 so as to prevent any backwardv or reverse rotation ofthe rollers.. Disposed upon the gudgeon of the roller 45 at the opposite end from the toothed wheel 54, is the resilient worm 57. This worm comprises a flat convolution 58 which only partially `surrounds the gudgeon and which is then continued spirally around the gudgeon and terminates'at 59, see Fig.'11. This end 59 is free and is normally held in its inward position by reason of the resilience of the spring material from' which the worm 57 is made. It'may, however, be pressed outward but will return to its original position when the force pushin 'tudinally slotted as at 60, Aand covering this slot is a plate 61 forming a blade carit outward 4is relieved. y 'The upper face o the section 40 of the case is ll0.

rier to the under side of which the blade holder 62 is attached. This blade holder 62 is adapted to move down through the slot in the section 40. The' blade holder 62 is composed of oppositely disposed resilient jaws 63 formed integral with each other and adapted to clasp a'razor blade. The jaws 63 are cut away at a number of places so-as to form spring tongues 65, these tongues being bent inward as shown in Fig. 9 so asto engage the back of the razor blade and hold 'the blade firmly in position. The blade holder 62 is adjustably mounted upon the cover 61 by means of the screw studs 66 which pass through the cover and are Iprovided with the nuts 67. A bowed-spring 68 is interposed between'the cover andthe nuts 67. It will be obvious thatby rotating the nuts 67 in one direction, the spring 68 will force the holder downward and that the spring will resist the movement of the blade holder upward toward the cover, thus firmly holding the blade holder in position relatively to the cover at all times. The blade is to be inserted through the open ends of the-blade holder, the back of the blade being engaged by the spring tongues 65. The blade carrier 61 vis longitudinallyextended at one end as at 69 and is attached to a hinge member 70, illustrated in the enlarged detail view Fig. 12. This member, though not necessarily made in one piece, consists of the yoke 71 to which the extension 69 of the The pocket 77 is formed at its end withV an opening 78 through which the arm 74 of the pintle 73 passes, this opening being large enough to permi@ an oscillation ofthe arm 74. Extending downward in a plane an inclination to theI vertical is a guide y -spring 79, this springt'being attached at its lower endas at 80 to a supporting plate 81 forming one wall of the recess in which the arm 74 is supported. The upper end of'the guide' spring 79 is thus free to shift. This guide spring 79 engages vwith'the feather When the arm 74 is inserted i'n the opening 78, the feather 75 thereon vwill engage with the spring 79 andy will guide the lower end of the arm downward toward the initial convolution of the worm 57 When the feather 75 is in engagement with the convolutions ofthe worm it will be below the lower pivoted end 8O of the spring 79 and will ,hence escape the spring as it is carried forward by the rotating worm. It will thus take the position illustrated in Fig. 11, the arm 74 when in this posit-ion escaping lthe resilient worm 57 and the resilient lworm contracting so that it may pass thelower end of the arm without affecting the same. When the -blade carrier 1s drawn'upward, carrying with it the arm 74, the feather 75 thereon -will press against the upper free end of the spring guide 79 and will force it'to one side, as shown in dotted lines Fig. 11, thus permitting the arm Vto be withdrawn from the lower eXtension 77 a ofthe vpocket 77. The operation of this form of my invention is precisely the sameas that previously described. By rotatingv the. crankv 55, the rollers" 44` and 45.

arerotated in v opposite directions. The razor blade is to be inserted in the holder 62 and the cover and its attached holder are then .placed in position in the upper section 40 of thecase, the razor lholder being tilted at such an angle to the axes of the stropping rollers that the lower extremity of the arm will be entered behind the first convolution ofthe spring worm 57. The first few Qrollers. case with an opening through which 'the .crank may be passed when it is removed from the shaft of the roller 45, and provide parallel to the plane of the arm 74 but at cal heads 85, and the heads will rotations of the roller 45 will shift the lower end of the arm 74gradually outward and gradually lower 'the blade carried in the holder into engagement with and between the stropping strips 46 on -the rollers 45 and 44. After the blade has 'been suiiiciently stropped, it is removed by raising the blade carrier and the attached holder directly upward, the arm 74 slipping out of the opening 78. ,y

It is, of course, a necessary feature of a compact razor stropping device that the .crank handle shall be made so that it will f not interfere with the portability of the conp struction, and it is a desideratum that means should be provided whereby the crankl handle and crank may be, if possible, carried within the case inclosing the stropping To this end I have provided the means whereby the handleoi the end of the Icrank can be turned into alinement therewith instead of at an angle thereto, this jhandle engaging the wall'of the case soas lto close the opening therein and holdptlie handle 'contained within the case. 'tails of this construction are illustrated in Figs. 13 to 19. `The crank arm 82 is split or cleft' as Iat 83 from its -free extremity to a- :point beyond-its middle so as to provide oppositely disposed resilient arms 84. Mounted on the extremity of each of these arms is a' hemispherical head 85, this head being formed with intersecting V-shaped grooves' 86. extending at right angles to each other as illustrated in Fig. 15. The grooves l86 on the inside face of vone head are of course oppositely disposed to and in register with the grooves86 on the inside face 'of the other head. Inasmuch as the arms 84 have resilience, it is possible to insert the shank of 'a handle between t-he hemispherigrip the shank ofthe handle. Preferably the handle 87 has a shank 88 which, at its end, is pro- .vided with the intersecting cross bar 89.

The projecting end 90 of the shank and the cross bar 89 are diamond-shaped in cross vsection so that the cross formed at the end -of the shank may be inserted in the V .shaped grooves 86 vand will engagev therewith `as illustrated in Fig. 16. The shank is pivoted at its center by a pivot pin 90a passing through the center of the heads 85. It will be obvious that the shank 88 may be turned between the heads 85, either in a position of alinement with the crank armm82 .or at right angles thereto. When atright angles thereto, the handle 87 occupies the normal position of thecrank handle so that the crank may be rotated. The section/41' of the casing is provided with an opening I 91 (see. Fig. 7), the Wallsof theopening lio and `that when the handle has been forcedy inward a suiicient depth, vthe lugs 92 will engage behind the thread 94 and that if the Vhandle be given a turn in one direction or the other, the handle will be locked in posi- :tion within the opening 91 and will close this opening, and that the handle can onl-y be detached therefrom' by reversing its movement until the lugs 92 can come int alinement with the grooves 93. After th stropping operation has been completed, it is only necessary to remove the crank arm 82 from the shaft of the roller 45 and insert `the butt end of the crank arm into the opening 91, the handle or knob 87 having been previously turned from its position at right angles to the arm 82 and turned so that its shank 88 will be in alinement with the crank arm. The crank arm is then inserted into the opening 91 until the lugs 92 have engaged with the thread 94 andthe handle is then turned as before described. While I do not wish to limit myself to this particular crank mounting, I regard it as a very desirable feature and almost a necessity1 in de vices of this character where portability and compactness are desiderata.

What I claim is:

1. A blade sharpening machine including,

a sharpening roller, means for rotating it, a blade holder supported' adjustably to the roller, means actuated by the rotation of the roller for gradually lowering it to bring the blade into a position parallel to and into engagement with the roller, and means whereby the -roller may be released from its engagement with the actuating means when the blade is in full engagement with the sharpening roller.

2. A blade sharpening machine including a sharpening roller, means for rotating it, a

screw rotatable with the roller, a blade holder hingedly supported above the roller, Said blade holder being provided lwith an arm engaging said screw whereby upon rotating the roller in one direction the holder may be gradually lowered to bring the blade into engagement with the roller.

3. A blade sharpening machine, including parallel coacting stropping members, ablade holder mounted above" the stropping members and in a planel midway between the two means for actuating the stropping members,

means operatively connected to said actuating means for gradually lowering the blade holder toward the stropping members to bring the blade carried thereby into a position parallel to the stropping members and into engagement therewith, and means whereby the holder may be released from its,l engagement with the holder-actuating means when the blade has been brought into a position parallel to and into engagement with the stropping members. 4. A blade sharpening mechanism includin a pair of-coacting, sharpening members, a blade holder disposed in a plane'midway between the sharpening members and supported for an arcuate movement in said plane, means for actuating said' stropping members and means operatively connected to said actuating means for moving the blade holder to carry'the blade therein from -a position of angularity relativey to the sharpening members to a position parallel thereto and into engagement therewith.

'5. A blade sharpening machine, including parallelv coacting stropping members, a blade holder hingedly mounted above the stropping member's, means for rotating the stropping members,' and means operated by said member rotating means for gradually Y lowering the free end of the blade holder toward the stropping members.

6. A blade sharpening machine including parallel coacting stropping members,ablade holder hingedly mounted above the stropping members, a screw actuated simultaneously with the rotation of the stropping members, and means operated by said screw for gradually lowering the free end of the blade holder toward the stropping members.v

7. A blade sharpening machine, including parallel coacting rollers, a shaft for rotating the rollers, a hingedly mounted blade holder disposed above the rollers and in a plane ybetween the same, a screw on the shaft, and a member depending from the hinged end of the said screw whereby holder and engaged b v the holdervma)7 be grad-A ually lowered into operative position as the rollers are rotated.

8. Ablade sharpening mechanism, including a supporting frame, parallel coacting sharpening rollers mounted therein, one of said rollers being provided at one end with a handle and at the other end with a screw, said screw being formed by a coil of resilient material, the outer end of the' coil being free, a blade holder hingedly -mounted at one end upon the supporting .frame above the rollers, the hinged end of the holder being provided with a depending member engaging with the coiled screw when the holder is in an angular position relative to the rollers.

9. A blade sharpening mechanism includ- I site sidesof the slot with bearings, a blade a longitudinally slotted casing, parallel coing acasing, parallel coacting sharpenin rollers mounted in the casing, said casing eing longitudinally slotted in a plane extending midway between the rollers, a blade carrier extending over the slot and detachable from the casing, pintles projecting laterally from one end of the blade carrier, and means actuated by a rotation of the rollers for engaging said blade carrier and gradually lowering the free end of the blade carrier toward the stropping members.

10. A blade sharpening machine including a casing, parallel coacting stropping rollers mounted in the casing, a screw rotatable with the rollers, said casing being slotted in a plane extending midway between the rollers and being provided at one end on oppocarrier having laterally extending pintles engaging said bearings, and an arm on said carrier engaged by the screw.

11. A blade sharpening machine including a longitudinally slotted casing, parallel coacting stropping rollers mounted in the casing, said casing being provided at one end on opposite sides of the slot with depressed bearing seats, one of said seats being perforated at its end, a blade carrier having laterally extending pintles at one end engaging said seats, one of said pintles having a prolongation to form an arm projecting through the perforation in the seat, land a screw rotatable with the stropping rollers engaging said arm.

12. A blade sharpening machine including acting stropping rollers mounted in the casing, the shaft of one of the rollers being provided with a screw at one end, the casing being formed on one end and on opposite sides of the slot with depressed bearing seats, one of said seats being formed with a perforation atits end, a blade carrier normallyy extending over the slot in the casing, one end of the blade carrier being provided with a downwardly extending yoke having transversely extending pintles seating in said bearingseats in the casing, one of the pintles'being formed with an arm extending through the perforation in the seat and engaging with said screw.

13. A blade sharpening machine including a casing formed in two sections, one of said sections forming a cover to the casing, said covering section being longitudinally slotted,

parallel coacting stropping rollers mounted in the other of said'sections, t-he shaft of one of the rollers'being provided with a screw, thecover section of the casing being formed on each side of the slot with depressed bearing seats, one of said seats immediately over the screw on the shaft being perforated, a blade carrier including a blade holder supported on the cover'section, the blade holder extending through the' slot, said carrier at one extremity being formed with a member having downwardly extending legs, the ends of the legs being angularly turned to form pintles seating in said bearing seats, one of vof the seats being perforated, a blade ca rrier having a dependingmember at one end formed with laterally extending pintles seating in said bearing seats, one of the pintles formed at its extremity with an arm extending downward into the casing, parallel coacting stropping rollers mountedjin the casing, a spirally arranged, resilient, screw mounted upon the shaft o-f one of said rollers with which the depending arm of the pintle coacts and a downwardly inclined spring guide supported on the casing, one end of the spring guide being xedly sup-j ported adjacent to the base of the resilient screw, the other end of the spring guide being free and being disposed adjacent to the perforation in the seat.

15. A blade sharpening mechanism including a casing formed in two sections, one of said sections being detachable from the other so as to permit the sections to be opened, one

section being formed on its yends with reioo cesses in its upper edge, journal blocks supported in said recesses butremovable-therefrom, and parallel coacting rollers mounted a position of angularity relative to the sharpening members to a position parallel thereto and into engagement therewith, said holdermoving means being released upon its opera'- tive engagement with the actuating means when the blade has reached a position parallel to and in engagement with the parallel members.

17. A blade sharpening machine including a pair of coacting sharpening members, blade suporting means supported midway between the sharpening members, said blade supporting means having a lrocking support at one end, means for actuating the sharpening gagement With the actuating means when the members, and means operatively engaged blade has reached the last named position. 10 With `the actuating means for rocking the In testimony whereof, I aiX my signature blade holder-to carry the blade held therein in presence of two Witnesses.

from a position of angularity with relation DAVID WATERS. [1.. 5.]

to the sharpening members to a position par- Witnesses: 1 allel thereto and into engagement therewith, JOHN STEVENSON, said last named means moving out of en- ISAAC. J. HARRIS. 

